Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 活組織檢查 / 活组织检查 | huózǔzhī jiǎnchá |
| 活檢 / 活检 | huójiǎn |
| 切片檢查 / 切片检查 | qiēpiàn jiǎnchá |
The term refers to the removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes. It can be used as a noun or as a verb meaning to take a sample for pathological examination.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 活組織檢查 / 活组织检查 (huózǔzhī jiǎnchá) literally means 'living tissue examination'. The term 切片檢查 / 切片检查 (qiēpiàn jiǎnchá) literally means 'slice examination', which refers specifically to the histological sectioning process.
Which one should you use?
While 活組織檢查 / 活组织检查 is the full formal term, 活檢 / 活检 (huójiǎn) is a common shortened form used in both clinical and casual settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
活組織檢查 / 活组织检查 is the formal, full medical term used in official diagnostic reports. The term 活体组织检查 is also a formal way to say biopsy.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of performing or undergoing a biopsy, use the verb 做 (zuò) before the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
huózǔzhī jiǎnchá
Did you know?
- The word 活 (huó) in 活組織檢查 means 'living', which emphasizes that the tissue is taken from a living body. This distinguishes it from an autopsy, where the term 屍 (shī) meaning 'corpse' is used instead.
- The term 切片 (qiēpiàn) used in biopsy-related phrases literally translates to 'slice' or 'piece', a word commonly used in everyday life for things like 'fruit slices' or 'thinly sliced meat'.
- While English uses the Greek root 'bio' for life, Mandarin uses the character 活 (huó), which is also the character used to describe someone who is 'energetic' or 'full of life'.
Example sentences for Mandarin are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “biopsy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
